An example of a game image processing apparatus of the related art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2000-123162 laid-open on Apr. 18, 2000 [G06T 3/40, G06T 9/20, H04N 1/409] (Technical document). According to this technical document, when an interpolation method of increasing constituent pixels is performed to an image having a jaggy occurred therein, in order to prevent the jaggy from occurring as much as possible, an image data interpolation method as described below is disclosed. A pixel data interpolation method of the technical document comprises and sequentially executes an original image data acquisition step A1 of acquiring image data processed in the previous step as original image data of interpolation processing; an edge direction detecting step A2 of detecting an edge direction at each pixel based on the same image data; an edge smoothing step A3 of smoothing the edge portion along the edge direction; a pixel interpolation step A4 of executing an original interpolation processing after the smoothing; and an image data output step A5 of transferring each pixel data after interpolation to the next step. However, the original image is a multi-level image inputted from a scanner, a digital camera, and a video camera, and an outputted image is the image of high resolution inputted in a color printer, etc.
However, the image data interpolation method described in the technical document detects the edge by using a filter, and a feature of this method is to apply it to the image having many gradations, a large number of pixels in the edge portion, and high resolution. Accordingly, in this related art, when applied to the image such as a dot picture in a game image with a small number of pixels in a characteristic part wherein each one of the dots expresses the characteristic of the image, there is a problem that detection in the edge direction and smoothing of the edge can not be properly performed, and an excellent image can not be obtained.
Therefore, a feature of certain exemplary embodiments is to provide a novel storage medium storing a game image processing program, game image processing apparatus, and game image processing method.
It is another feature of certain exemplary embodiments to provide a storage medium storing a game image processing program, a game image processing apparatus and a game image processing method, capable of excellently reducing a jaggy of the image having relatively small size of a characteristic part, when a resolution of a game image is converted into a high resolution.
The certain exemplary embodiments described herein have adopt the following construction in order to solve the above-described problems. It should be noted that reference numerals and footnote, etc. which are enclosed in parentheses show only one example of correspondences with the embodiment described later in order to help the understandings of the certain exemplary embodiments described herein, and are not intended to be limiting.
The storage medium storing the game image processing program according to an exemplary embodiment stores the game image processing program executed by a computer of the game image processing apparatus that converts the resolution of the game image from a first resolution into a second resolution of n-times of the first resolution and outputs the game image after conversion. The game image processing program causes the computer to function as a resolution converting means, a comparing means, an interpolation means and an outputting means. The resolution converting means generates a high resolution image obtained by converting a low resolution image of the first resolution into the second resolution, and stores the image after conversion in the storage means. As to an arbitrary pixel in the low resolution image, the comparing means compares pixel values of the pixel and the pixel adjacent to the pixel in an oblique direction. The interpolation means shifts the pixel having the same pixel value obtained by a comparison by the comparing means, by m (1≦m≦n−1) pixels in an oblique direction of the pixel of the high resolution image corresponding to the pixel at the second resolution, then superposing the pixel on the high resolution image in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image. The output means outputs the high resolution image thus updated by the interpolation means.
Specifically, the game image processing program is executed by computers (36 and 42) of the game image processing apparatus (12) for converting the game image of the first resolution into the game image of the second resolution that is n-times of the first resolution, and outputting the converted game image. The game image processing program allows the computer to function as resolution converting means (36, 42, S9, S11, S13), comparing means (36, 42, S17, S19), and interpolation means (36, 42, S17, S19), and output means (36, 42, 62, S5). The resolution converting means generates a high resolution image (200) obtained by converting a low resolution image (100) of the first resolution into the second resolution, and stores it in storage means (40, 404). As to an arbitrary pixel in the low resolution image, the comparing means compares pixel values of the arbitrary pixel and the pixel adjacent to the pixel in the oblique direction. The interpolation means shifts the pixel having the same pixel value (same color) obtained by the comparison by the comparing means, by m (1≦m≦n−1) pixels in the oblique direction of the pixel of the high resolution image corresponding to the pixel at the second resolution, and superposing the pixel on the high resolution image in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image. For example, when the resolution is converted into double, the value of “m” is set as m=1, and the image including a semi-transparent pixel is shifted by one pixel and is superposed on the high resolution image. Also, for example, when the resolution is converted into triple, the value of “m” is set as m=1, 2, and the image including the semi-transparent pixel is shifted by one pixel or two pixels, and is superposed on the high resolution image. Accordingly, the jaggy is reduced. The output means outputs the high resolution image updated by the interpolation means as a game screen.
According to certain exemplary embodiments, after the image is converted into the high resolution image, the pixel is interpolated between the pixels adjacent to each other in the oblique direction. Therefore, even in a case of the game image with a small number of pixels, the game screen can be easily viewed by reducing the jaggy. Namely, the resolution of the game image can be excellently converted.
According to a certain exemplary embodiment, the comparing means includes a first pixel value comparing means for comparing pixel values of an arbitrary pixel and the pixel adjacent to the arbitrary pixel in the lower right direction, and a second pixel value comparing means for comparing the pixel values of the arbitrary pixel and the pixel adjacent to the arbitrary pixel in the upper right direction. The interpolation means includes a first pixel interpolation means for shifting the pixel having the same pixel value obtained by the comparison by the first pixel value comparing means, by m-pixels in the lower right direction of the pixel of the high resolution image corresponding to the pixel at the second resolution, then superposing the pixel on the high resolution image in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image, and a second pixel interpolation means for shifting the pixel having the same pixel value obtained by the comparison by the second pixel value comparing means, by m-pixels in the upper right direction of the pixel of the high resolution image corresponding to the pixel at the second resolution, then superposing the pixel on the high resolution image in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image. Specifically, first pixel comparing means (36, 42, S17) compare the pixel values of the arbitrary pixel and the pixel adjacent to the arbitrary pixel in the lower right direction. Second pixel comparing means (36, 42, S19) compares the pixel values of the arbitrary pixel and the pixel adjacent to the arbitrary pixel in the upper right direction. The first pixel interpolation means (36, 42, S17) shifts the pixel having the same pixel value obtained by the comparison by the first pixel value comparing means, by m-pixels in the lower right direction of the pixel of the high resolution image corresponding to the pixel at the second resolution, then superposing the pixel on the high resolution image in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image. Namely, a jaggy interpolation processing in the lower right direction is applied. Also, in the same way, the second pixel interpolation means (36, 42, S19) shifts the pixel having the same pixel value obtained by the comparison by the second pixel value comparing means, by m-pixels in the upper right direction of the pixel of the high resolution corresponding to the pixel by the second resolution, then superposing the pixel on the high resolution image in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image. Namely, the jaggy interpolation processing in the upper right direction is applied. In the way, the jaggy in the lower right direction and in the upper right direction can be reduced. Namely, the jaggy over an entire body of the game image can be reduced.
According to a certain exemplary embodiment, as to the arbitrary pixel of the lower resolution image, the game image processing program causes the computer to further function as a third pixel value comparing means for comparing the pixel values of the pixels adjacent to each other in the upper and lower directions and the pixel values of the pixels adjacent to each other in the right and left directions, respectively, and a third pixel value interpolation means for superposing a pixel having the same pixel value in at least one of the upper and lower directions and the right and left directions, obtained by the comparison by the third pixel value comparing means, on the high resolution image corresponding to the pixel at the second resolution in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image. Specifically, as to the arbitrary pixel of the low resolution image, third pixel value comparing means (36, 42, S23) compare the pixel values of the pixel adjacent to each other in the upper and lower directions and the pixel adjacent to each other in the right and left directions, respectively. Third pixel value interpolation means (36, 42, S23) superpose at least one of the pixels in the upper and lower directions or right and left directions having the same pixel value, on the high resolution image of the second image corresponding to the pixel, in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image. For example when at least one of the pixels in the upper and lower directions or right and left directions have the same pixel value, opacity is set at 50%, and when both of the upper and lower pixels, and right and left pixels have the same pixel values, the opacity is set at 100%, and when both of the upper and lower pixels, and right and left pixels do not have the same pixel values, the opacity is set at 0%. However, when both of the upper and lower, and right and left pixels do not have the same pixel values, no pixels are drawn. This contributes to preventing a situation that a characteristic part expressed by one dot or one line is blurred and hardly viewed. Namely, color is emphasized, thereby making it possible to easily view.
The game image processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment converts the game image of the first resolution into the game image of the second resolution that is n-times of the first resolution and outputs the converted game image. The game image processing apparatus has a converting means, a storage means, a comparing means, an interpolation means, and an output means. The resolution converting means generates the high resolution image obtained by converting the low resolution image of the first resolution into the high resolution image of the second resolution, and stores it in the storage means. The storage means stores the high resolution image. As to the arbitrary pixel in the low resolution image, the comparing means compares the pixel values of the arbitrary pixel and the pixel adjacent to the arbitrary pixel in the oblique direction. The interpolation means shifts the pixel having the same pixel value obtained by the comparison by the comparing means, by m (1≦m≦n−1) pixels in the oblique direction of the pixel of the high resolution image corresponding to the pixel at the second resolution, and superposes it on the high resolution image in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image. The output means outputs the high resolution image updated by the interpolation means.
According to the game image processing apparatus of certain exemplary embodiments also, in the same way as the storage medium of these certain exemplary embodiments, even in a case of the game image with a small number of pixels, the game screen can be made easy to be viewed by performing jaggy interpolation.
A game image processing method according to certain exemplary embodiments provides the game image processing method of the game image processing apparatus for converting the game image of the first resolution into game image of the second resolution that is n-times of the first resolution and outputting the converted game image, comprising the steps of: (a) generating the high resolution image obtained by converting the low resolution image of the first resolution into the second resolution, (b) as to the arbitrary pixel in the low resolution image, comparing the pixel values of the arbitrary pixel and the pixel adjacent to the arbitrary pixel in the oblique direction, (c) shifting the pixel having the same pixel value obtained by the comparison in the step (b), by m (1≦m≦n−1) pixels along the oblique direction of the pixel of the high resolution image corresponding to the pixel at the second resolution, and superposing the pixel on the high resolution image in a semi-transparent state, thereby updating the high resolution image, and (d) outputting the high resolution image updated in the step (c).
According to the game image processing method described above also, in the same way as the storage medium of certain exemplary embodiments, even in the case of the game image with small numbers of pixels, the jaggy interpolation is performed, and the game screen can be made easy to be viewed.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the certain exemplary embodiments described herein will become more apparent from the following detailed description of these certain exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.